Media Ignore Carolla, Shapiro Defending Free Speech
If you were in charge of a major entertainment site which story would you give more attention?
Caitlyn Jenner Breaks Up with Donald Trump in a Long Essay
Hulu Dressing Up Barbie Documentary for 2018
Meet the ‘Mean Girls’: Broadway Bound Musical Sets Cast
Reminder: Jared and Ivanka Are Useless
Adam Carolla, Ben Shapiro Defend Embattled Free Speech on College Campuses
The first four headlines come from actual entertainment sites. The fifth? It’s a made-up headline based on an actual congressional hearing Thursday.
Why?
As of this writing Variety, Deadline.com, TheWrap.com and RollingStone.com ignored the hearing. E! News? Nothing. Entertainment Weekly? Nope.
The Hollywood Reporter did file a report on the hearing. The outlet buried it as far down on its massive front page as possible. Even more curious? The editors slapped it with the most milquetoast headline imaginable.
Adam Carolla Talks About Free Speech on Campus at Congressional Hearing
Call it anti-clickbait.
You don’t have to be a news junkie to grasp the importance of what was said at that House Oversight Committee hearing. Titled “Challenges to Freedom of Speech on College Campuses,” the hearing let the podcast king and conservative pundit detail how free expression under assault.
Literally.
You’d think that would be vitally important to publications that cover the arts. Apparently not.
Here’s Shapiro explaining the gravity of the situation.
“Free speech is under assault because of a three-step argument made by the advocates and justifiers of violence,” he said. The Daily Wire editor explained how a toxic combination of identity politics, describing speech itself as violent and justifying actual violence to eliminate it has transformed college life for the worse.
Much worse.
Carolla cracked a few jokes before talking about visiting colleges 15 years ago with his then-“Loveline” co-host Dr. Drew Pinsky.
“We must have played a hundred college campuses with nary a word of negativity,” Carolla said. “Many controversial ideas were exchanged. And that’s what they were, exchanged. We got our paychecks and went home.”
That’s no longer possible.
RELATED: DIrector: Lenny Bruce Would Be Kicked Off of Today’s College Campuses
Carolla attempted to visit Cal State Northridge with conservative talker Dennis Prager earlier this year. That presentation got canceled for dubious reasons, he said. The duo had to enlist an attorney in order to secure an appearance.
“We need the adults to start being the adults,” he said of the current situation on campus. Today’s students are just kids, poorly equipped to deal with the real world, he argued. That’s where the administrators and professions should be stepping in. And up.
They’re not, Carolla said. That’s leaving students woefully unprepared for the challenges awaiting them once they grab that sheepskin.
“If you take people and put them in a zero gravity environment like astronauts they lose muscle mass. They lose bone density,” he said. “They need to live in a world that has gravity. You need to expose your children to germs and dirt and the environment to build up their immune system.”
“Our plan is put them in a bubble, keep ’em away from everything and somehow they’ll come out stronger when they emerge from the bubble. Well, that’s not happening,” he added.
The facts back up Shapiro and Carolla’s presentations. In fact, they may have under-stated the seriousness of the situation.
Yet the same media outlets who run story after story about how “The Handmaid’s Tale” reflect life in Trump’s totalitarian America couldn’t find space for the duo’s eloquent defense of free speech.
Before the appearance, Carolla told Hollywood in Toto why a professional comedian would visit D.C. for such a hearing.
“I’m not from the right or the left but I represent the hard working taxpayers of America who have an interest in how our tax dollars are being used in education. I look forward to continuing that conversation.” he said.
It’s why he’s behind the upcoming documentary “No Safe Spaces” with Dennis Prager. The film will document the assaults on free speech across the country.
He may have changed a heart or mind with his testimony. He wasn’t as successful spreading the word thanks to news outlets who thought stories about toy dolls and reality show stars deserved more attention.
The hearing did generate some news, though. Breitbart.com, HotAir.com, The Washington Times, The Blaze, The New York Post, The Washington Free Beacon and The Washington Examiner all covered it. All are right of center sites.
Conservatives are leading the fight for free speech – both on college campuses and the media.
Carolla is an entertainer – and a somewhat niche entertainer at that. While these views may be important and accurate, part of the reason the mass liberal media ain’t covering it is because their readers don’t care what he has to say (let alone the substance of what he says). Someone that already has influence with the liberals has to turn them around. Until that happens, conservative principles are like farts in the wind to liberal brains. Even if they get a whiff of it, they automatically think it stinks even if they have no idea what it really is.
I remember when the UC system actually educated our ignorant children instead of indoctrinating them.
What is the opposite of Diversity? University…
Carolla was on Jimmy Kimmel and never talked about this. He does not talk politics with his best friend, Jimmy. I guess he doesn’t want to ruffle Hollywood feathers.
I think in this case it’s a matter of not politicizing everything. Let the left wing “comedians” politicize stuff. It’s possible for Carolla to just be funny without getting political.
When you have a best friend or a relative who is the other side, the best thing is to avoid politics. Otherwise you may be speaking about a former best friend.
California State University, Northridge is absolutely committed to the values of scholarship, knowledge and the exchange of ideas. The university has a long history of hosting a wide range of visiting speakers and scholars. In fact, Adam Carolla and Dennis Prager held an event on campus in 2013.
The request to hold an event on campus in December was never approved because the requested date was at the end of the semester — a particularly hectic time for the campus. We were always open to an event that landed at a less busy period in our academic calendar and ended up hosting such an event in February.
CSUN is posting their press releases?
the cal state system is corrupt beyond belief. I would trust the inhabitant of any special needs yard in any prison long before ANY employee or supporter of the cal system
Dear CSUN,
You have lost all credibility. You wasted it coddling the students and professors who are behind shutting down speech on campus.
Nobody believes you any more.
You have a long, hard road ahead to regain your credibility again.
If you can.
Hahaha. The same BS excuse you left wing Socialist indoctrination experts always use….
Your indoctrination doesn’t work on intelligent people.